Their Eyes Were Watching God Analysis

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Their Eyes Were Watching God was written in the late 1930’s by Zora Neale Hurston. Through her text she exemplifies the struggles that an African American woman faces through this time period. During the era that the text takes place in they live in a patriarchal culture. This culture privileges men by promoting gender roles. We are introduced to the main character Janie, a beautiful black woman with white ancestry. She is not afraid to use her beauty to get what she wants. Janie does not agree with the gender roles of their patriarchal culture. She finds her true self through her three relationships. Nanny is the caregiver of Janie. She raises Janie into the women that she is. Nanny can be sought after as a patriarchal woman. From the day…show more content…
As the weeks of flirtation with the man that goes by the name of Jody, he states that he wants Janie to leave her husband and marry him. After a big argument with her husband where he belittles her, she decides to take up Jody’s offer and moves into a new town where he is the mayor. As the mayor of the town, he is asked to say a speech, they then ask to hear from Janie. Jody quickly stops her before she can give the speech. On page 43 he says “Thank yuh for yo’ compliments, but mah wife don’t know nothin’ bout no speech makin’. Ah never married her for nothing lak dat. She’s uh women and her place is in the home.” (Hurston) Jody saying this only leads reader to believe that he thinks a woman should be heard and not seen. Jody looks at Janie as the perfect trophy wife, she is a young and beautiful woman. Also that fact that she is not independent and he can control he feels like she fits the best description of what his wife should be like. Jody is so caught up in possessing power, Janie is not satisfied in their relationship because Jody’s hunger for power requires her to remain quiet when around others especially to other men. Janie rebels against Jody’s power which slowly starts to destroy his sense of
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